O’Day managed the Cubs for just one year, 1914, to a record of 78-76. He then returned to umpiring in the National League the following year. O’Day’s managerial career (he also managed the Cincinnati Reds in 1912) established a unique baseball achievement that is unlikely to ever be duplicated: O’Day is the only person to ever play, manage and umpire in the National League and the feat has never been accomplished in the American League.

With this blog post, Mr. Burbatt also discusses his venturing deeper into Chicago baseball history beyond his beloved Cubs by acquiring the Ars Longa Beginnings: 1880s card for Jim McCauley of the Chicago Maroons. The Maroons are a largely forgotten minor league team that played in the Western Association in 1888.

John Elberfeld, the great nephew of Kid Elberfeld, has created an impressive website that documents his ancestor’s life. The depth and breadth of the research contained in the site is impressive. I am thrilled and honored that Mr. Elberfeld would see fit to include my work in his tribute to his great uncle, The Tabasco Kid, who as his nickname suggests was one of the feistiest and most flavorful players of the early 20th century.

Mr. Elberfeld has spotlighted the Ars Longa card of Kid Elberfeld from the Pilgrims series.

One of the great thrills I experience through my work is when I cross paths with descendants of the players I make cards for. Sharing a moment or two with these folks over email, or simply crossing paths through an eBay auction, is an experience that breaks through the boundaries of space and time that define the images I work with and adds a dimension of life and color and a bit more meaning to what I do. I am always honored by the opportunity to be connected, even in such a small way, to the lives and legacies of these players as they exist today in their proud descendants.